Ornamental fountains



NOV. 22, 1966 ZYSK ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAINS Filed April 20, 1964 INVEN TOR.

HELMUT ZYSK ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,286,927 ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAINS Helmut Zysk, 103 N. 65th St., Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Apr. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 360,825 3 Claims. (Cl. 239-23) My invention relates to ornamental fountains, and more particularly to a pole type of fountain that may be easily moved to any predetermined position or location in a room.

The prime object of my invention is to provide an ornamental fountain that is supported by one or more resiliently actuated vertical poles, extending from the floor to the ceiling or supported by a vertical pole firmly attached to a base or pedestal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described that may be easily manipulated when it is being moved to any convenient location.

Still another object of my invention is to equip the fountain with a motor and pump, acting as an actuated unit that is self contained, adapted to be connected to a current supply in any conventional manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ornamental fountain that can be easily attached to any existing pole lamp assembly already in usage.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with interior decorating and home arrangement, that fountains are gaining in popularity. However built-in fountains are usually quite costly and are lhnited to their specific location in the room, and it is the prime object of my invention to provide a self-contained fountain actuated by a motor driven pump to circulate the water, a fountain that may be moved with ease to any predetermined location without mechanical skill, or special equipment.

The device is simple in construction, and etficiently serves the purpose for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fountain having a curvilinear contour, and equipped with a single pole or support,

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the assembled unit shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a fountain having a longitudinal tray, supported by a pair of vertical poles,

FIGURE 4 is another modified double pole type fountain equipped with a decorative panel, supported by the vertical poles, and

FIGURE 5 is another modified type supported by a single pole equipped with a pedestal, or base.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character shows a single pole support slidably engaging a top tube 11 encasing a compression spring 12, supported in any conventional manner. Pole 10 is manually actuatable and readily mobile. The top tube 11 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, equipped with a contact flange 13, which may be of any conventional design and arranged for frictional contact with the ceiling of the room in which the device is disposed. The lower tube 10 is shown equipped with a base plate, or flange 14, which also may be of any shape or contour.

The spring 12, obviously biases telescoping tubes 10 and 11, in opposite directions for contact of the poles with the floor and ceiling of the room. The spring 12 may be positioned near the top as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, or near the bottom as shown in FIGURE 3. The tubes are of a dimension to slidably telescopically engage one another.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a fountain shell 15 or basin is shown with an opening at its center, intermediateice ly disposed relative to the axis of and on the tube 10, and is held integrally in position relative to pole 10 by means of -a set-screw 16 that protrudes through a collar 16a, which depends from the basin 15.

The basin 15 has a second or lower compartment 17, for housing a conventional motor and pump unit 18, which circulates the water shown as 19 from the opening 20 in the bottom of the basin 15 through the pump unit 18, and out of the openings 21 to form the spray. From FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 it will be noted that the openings 21 are formed in a mounting 21a that extends from the partition 15a of the basin that separates the second or lower compartment 17 However, the pump unit 18 may be a self enclosed unit which is disposed within the water 19 in the shell 15. The supply of electrical current to operate unit 18 is shown as an electric cord or wire 22, which leads from the unit' 18 down poles 10 and out through aperture 23 adjacent base 14 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, and thence to a suitable outlet. If desirable and convenient, cord 22 may pass from the motor and pump unit 18 through the side wall of the compartment 17 to the outlet, as shown in FIGURE 5.

The modified construction-shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, operate in substantially the same manner, except that in the embodiment of FIGURE 3, basin 15 is elongated and supported at 24 to a pair of vertical members 10, and pump unit 18 is a sealed unit disposed in the water 19 in basin 15. Thus, water 19 is pumped from basin 15 upwardly into horizontal tube 25 which is equipped with apertures 26 from which the water is released and falls freely downward into basin 15 from which it can be recycled. The tube 25 is shown supported at 27 to the post members 10, and in FIGURES 3 and 4, the tube 11 which contains and supports spring 12 is disposed at the bottom of the vertical standard or posts.

A further modification is shown in FIGURE 4 and comprises a decorative panel 28, which panel may be of any form, shape or contour, disposed between and supported by the vertical standards 10 near their upper ends, and preferably above the spray of water. In this embodiment, basin 15 is supported by the pump enclosure 29 which is carried by a lower horizontal member 30, which is attached at 31 to the vertical standards, or posts 10.

In FIGURE 5, the pole 10 is attached to an enlarged pedestal 32, which is free standing. The other parts of this embodiment correspond to FIGURES 1 and 2.

From the above description, it will become apparent that the device leads itself to many purposes. It may be moved to any predetermined position in the room, may be used as a room divider, may be easily connected to any electrical current supply, or electric current outlet, and requires no permanent attachment to a water supply, in as much as the water is recirculated at all times. The spray of water may be directed upward from a ring (not shown) equipped with a plurality of apertures at its top, or with a plurality of small nozzles projecting from the perimeter of the ring. If desired the entire assembled device may be wired for illumination, either plain or in color. It is understood that while water is herein used to illustrate the invention, any non-toxic, relatively nonvolatile fiuid may be employed with equally desirable effect.

The device is simple in construction, and although I have shown a specific construction and modified forms, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes may be made in the form, shape and configuration of the parts without affecting their operativeness, and I reserve the rights to make such changes as I may deem necessary without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States, is:

An ornamental fountain comprising:

a hollow basin having a first compartment with an open face and -a second compartment, said first compartment receiving and containing fluid;

pumping means positioned within said second compartment for pumping fluid in an upwardly direction whereupon it eventually flows into said first compartment;

interconnecting means included in said basin for providing a passageway for fluid from said first compartment to said pumping means;

at least one manually actuatable spring-biased pole member fixedly associated with said basin and being capable of releasably securing said ornamental fountain between an upper and a lower surface;

said basin including an opening extending substantially in the center thereof for frictionally receiving said pole member therethrough; and fastening means releasably securing said basin at a pre-determined position along said pole member.

An ornamental fountain comprising:

basin having an opening in substantially the center thereof, said basin having an upper compartment and a lower compartment separated by a partition wall, said first compartment receiving and containing a mounting integrally formed to said partition and extending upwardly around said opening, the top of said mounting having apertures exposed to the outside;

colla-r integrally formed to the outside of said lower compartment and depending therefrom;

pumping means housed within said second compartment;

interconnecting means included within said basin and said basin at a pre-determined position along said pole member.

3. An ornamental fountain as defined in claim 2, wherei in an upper flange and a lower flange are disposed respectively at the top end and bottom end of said pole member, said flanges providing gripping areas to distribute the forces pressing against said upper and lower surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,117,612 11/1914 Thompson 239-38 2,888,205 5/1959 Trucco 239--20 i 2,942,829 6/ 1960 Stifiel 248356 2,973,904 3/1961 Zimmermann 239-20 2,974,871 3/1961 Naythons 239-17 3,151,811 10/1964 Hurby 23917 3,174,688 3/ 1965 Chatten 23920 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 893,138 4/1962 Great Britain.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Examiner.

D. L. MOSELEY, V. C. WILKS, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN COMPRISING: A HOLLOW BASIN HAVING A FIRST COMPARTMENT WITH AN OPEN FACE AND A SECOND COMPARTMENT, SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT RECEIVING AND CONTAINING FLUID; A PUMPING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT FOR PUMPING FLUID IN AN UPWARDLY DIRECTION WHEREUPON IT EVENTUALLY FLOWS INTO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT; INTERCONNECTING MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID BASIN FOR PROVIDING A PASSAGEWAY FOR FLUID FROM SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT TO SAID PUMPING MEANS; AT LEAST ONE MANUALLY ACTUABLE SPRING-BIASED POLE MEMBER FIXEDLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BASIN AND BEING CAPABLE OF RELEASABLY SECURING SAID ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN BETWEEN AN UPPER AND LOWER SURFACE; SAID BASIN INCLUDING AN OPENING EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE CENTER THEREOF FOR FRICTIONALLY RECEIVING SAID POLE MEMBER THERETHROUGH; AND FASTENING MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID BASIN AT A PRE-DETERMINED POSITION ALONG SAID POLE MEMBER. 